Is there really a Chang 'e in the history of China?

No, she was originally a mythical figure. It is said that she first appeared in Shan Hai Jing, but at that time her name was Chang 'e, the second wife of the Emperor of Heaven, and later she became Chang 'e. However, she is still just a mythical figure.

Chang 'e, formerly known as Heng E, was renamed Chang 'e when Liu Heng, the emperor of China, was taboo in the Western Han Dynasty. She was also named Chang 'e, a native of Yangzhou, a mythical figure in China and the wife of Hou Yi. In myth, Hou Yi ran to the moon because he stole the elixir of life stolen by the Queen Mother of the West. There are many legends, poems and songs among the people. In Taoism, Chang 'e is the moon god, also known as the king of the moon and stars. Taoism regards the moon as the essence of yin, and is honored as Huang Huasu, the fairy queen of Yuan Zhen, or Taiyin Emperor of the Moon Palace who is filial to wise kings, and is a female idol.